Broken Bond: Brothers of Hatred
by Gramm485
Summary: Two brothers locked in an infinite cycle of combat. One fights for power, the other to stop him. Or is there no purpose behind it at all, and it's just because of family? Novelization of the Vergil fights from Devil May Cry 3.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Duel of the Demon Children**

Vergil took a long, deep breath, inhaling through his nose and out his mouth, the cool, damp air filling his lungs. It was a good night. The moon sat high in the sky, an ever watchful eye to the events that were happening. Thin wisps of smoke-like clouds hovered near it, remnants of the deeper ones that lay high above. A storm was coming.

Already, he could here the first patters of rain as they fell to the top of Temen-ni-gru. First sparsely, then more and more, until the sound was almost a uniform roar. The downpour quickly filled the top of the circular tower with a thin covering of water. The grim statues on top twisted around like dark trees in a swamp. The large droplets of water sifted through his slicked back, silky white hair, hammered the shoulders of his long blue coat, and beaded along the silk shirt beneath it.

It would be a small storm. The gales that blew were hardly enough to flutter the tail of his coat. It paled in comparison to the storm that would occur before the night was over, when he got what was rightfully his. The rain was heavy, but pleasant to the skin as it washed down the contours of his face and across his lips.

Then he heard the footsteps; heavy falls amidst puddles of water. Unkempt, without caution or grace. Vergil allowed himself a small smile that shifted the path of water down his face. His left hand tightened around the black mirror sheath of Yamato just below it's long gold tassel. Soon, he assured the serpentine katana...soon.

"You showed up..." he remarked casually, slowly turning to face him.

It was Dante, of course. He had been expecting him for some time. Vergil had to force his lip not to curl in disgust for Dante's sheer lack of etiquette. He was the son of a great warrior, and here he dressed like a drifter: a red trench coat, ripped leather pants, muddy boots, and without even so much as a shirt on. He wore a pair of holsters that held his guns, as well as his large sword, Rebellion, over that. His silvery hair was ragged, long, and dirty.

Vergil was infuriated that he had to call such a person his twin brother.

Dante chuckled, then wagged the barrel of one of his guns at him. "You sure know how to throw a party," he said sarcastically as he paced back and forth in the rain. "No food, no drinks, and the only babe just left!"

"My sincerest apology, brother," Vergil said tightly, not moving from his spot on the edge of the tower. "I was...so eager to see you that I couldn't concentrate on preparations for the bash..."

Dante actually turned his back on him when he next paced. Vergil briefly wondered how quickly it would take him to strike him down in that instant. But there was no honor in attacking while his back was turned. He would fight his brother fair and square, even if Dante didn't, and he would win.

"Whatever," Dante shrugged. "At any rate, it's been a whole year since we last met. How 'bout a kiss from your little brother...Better yet, how 'bout a kiss from _this_?" He raised the gun after a spin, holding it sloppily sideways.

The first bolt of lightening streaked across the sky, shortly followed by a resounding crash of thunder. The small smile returned to Vergil's lips. The storm was fully matured. Slowly, his hand crept higher on Yamato's sheath, until it reached the hilt.

"So, this is what they call a heartwarming family reunion, eh?" Dante asked.

"You got that right," Vergil replied, then with a flick of his thumb, pushed up on Yamato's hilt, revealing a sliver of shining blade.

Dante acted as predicted: he went for those despicable guns. He reached back quickly and pulled the other one free, then began to fire. Even quicker, Vergil took a single step back and unsheathed Yamato, revealing the long, curved blade in all of its glory. His wrist a blur, he spun the blade round and round, instantly creating a seemingly solid wall that sang sweetly as the rain struck it. The bullets from Dante's gun struck the metal shield with a much harsher sound as they were deflected into the air.

After a few seconds of useless firing, Dante ceased his attack. Quick as a blur, Vergil sheathed his sword again, coiling it for the next strike. He lunged forward, but instead of running, he directed the flow of energy through his body, then skipped the space between them. Instead of physically crossing the gap, he merely appeared in front of his brother almost instantly and struck.

Vergil was impressed that his brother dodged the swipe of Yamato's sheath, then the follow up swing. But he miscalculated when he leaned forward and drew the blade in a wide arc, slicing through the the very rain itself. Dante tried to block the blow with his own sword, which he had drawn a second ago, but only caught it at a glance. Yamato's tip glanced his shoulder, cutting through his red coat and into his flesh.

In a blink, Yamato was once again coiled and ready to strike in its sheath. Vergil's smile broadened ever so slightly. It was not even a minute into the fight, and he'd already scored a blow on his brother.

But the strike was small, and Dante had barely been phased by it. He lunged forward, aiming the point of his sword at Vergil's chest. Coolly, he raised Yamato, and deflected the blade with the sheath. The clap of the impact dwarfed the sound of thunder from the bolt of lightening that arced across the sky. Both of them stuttered, but Vergil recovered far quicker, then tricked to Dante's side.

They crossed swords again and again. Both blades cut through the rain around them, creating streaks of air that followed their strikes. Rebellion was a large, heavy blade, and Dante swung it easily with great power, but Yamato was far more deadly in Vergil's hands, striking like a snake, always keeping his brother on the defensive.

In the midst of the battle, Dante shoved hard when their blades locked, then spun and slashed. Vergil whipped his head back to avoid losing it, but felt the stinging line across his cheek as the blade drew close, then the trickle of blood. His brother had gotten better since they last fought... But the wound had already closed with no trace of a scar, and the rain had washed the blood away.

"This may be fun," Vergil grinned, then lunged.

Vergil spied an opening in his careless brother's defense, then drew Yamato up, then down viciously, cutting him twice along his bare chest, then elegantly cast the blood off the blade and sheathed it. As Dante fell back, holding his wounds, he tricked again, though this time _backwards, _putting more distance between them.

He tucked Yamato low at his hip, the tip of the sheath tucked behind him like a scorpions tail. He cracked the sword out, then focused his energy into the sword and released a Judgment Cut. A wave of pressure emanated from his blade, more than evident as it shimmered through the rain and distorted it. The wave coned, then folded itself into a sphere, which spun violently and formed a set of summoned blades within it.

It all happened within a fraction of a second, and the sphere released a low, pulsating sound, like some kind of hellish bass guitar. It caught Dante in half it's radius, the blades slicing into his flesh with a spray of blood. Vergil struck again and again, sending more and more waves of demonic pressure, sending his wounded brother dancing for his life between them.

He tricked again, appearing behind Dante andgrabbing him by the scruff of the coat. "Where's your motivation?" he sneered, then jerked him forward, setting him off balance. As Dante stumbled, Vergil surged forward, flowing past him in one fluid movement and slashing half a dozen times with Yamato.

Dante fell back, cut deeply across the chest more than once. As Vergil turned to face him, he rose and charged forward in a burst of speed, dragging Rebellion along the ground in a trail of sparks. Vergil was ready for the strike that followed when they met. Though the heavy sword knocked his katana askew, and Dante demonstrated an admirable display of swordsmanship, Vergil easily blocked the stab that was intended for his chest. After he parried, he flipped his grip, and drove Yamato's hilt into Dante's gut.

The blow knocked him back into one of the statues with a dull thud, a crack forming up the base of it. Haphazardly, he drew a gun and fired. Vergil was ready for the bullets once again, blocking and catching them with a twirl of Yamato. Their forward velocity halted, he splayed them in a perfect line with the tip of his sword, then struck them back. Dante was just fast enough to cleave them out of the way with a single swipe.

"Why do you refuse to gain power?" Vergil questioned as Dante shakily hauled himself to his feet. "The power of our father, Sparda?" He barely realized that he was staring through his sopping bangs. Sometime during the fight, his hair had fallen down, and with an irritating thought, he realized that he and Dante now looked even more similar.

"Father?" Dante chuckled to himself. "I don't have a father." He laughed again. "I just don't like you, that's all."

He stepped forward and brought Rebellion down. Vergil met it with Yamato. The blades clashed harshly as both put their weight behind them. Both of their eyes burned with hatred for the other as they grunted for the upper hand. Between them, the touching swords slowly sparked and heated, until they glowed red hot.

Then, Vergil pushed. Rebellion flung high into the air, out of Dante's hands. As its point fell into the stone beside them, he thrust Yamato forward, into his brother's chest. Dante jerked forward, clasping his hands around the razor that penetrated his body.

"Foolishness Dante..." Vergil hissed, then shoved it in deeper. "Foolishness...Might controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything...let alone yourself." It was the final lesson he would teach him. Of course, it was the one that he never bothered to learn. Vergil twisted Yamato and jerked it out, the same way he finished that worthless Vanguard hours ago.

As Dante fell back, Vergil saw his prize: the amulet suspended by a silver chain around his neck. He reached out and snatched it, breaking the chain. As whatever life inside of Dante tried to stop him, Vergil simply turned and swatted away the protesting hand with a slice of his blade.

His brother collapsed to the top of Temen-ni-gru, lifeless in a growing pool of crimson. He felt cold satisfaction wash over him as he looked at the amulet in his gloved hand. It was a large red jewel, embedded in silver, and an identical match to his own, though his was gold. He pressed it gently to his forehead and closed his eyes.

_Forgive me, mother..._

Vergil flipped his bangs back into their proper position, then looked down on his motionless brother with contempt, his lip curling once again as he fought the urge to spit. He walked off, and on the way, he plucked Rebellion from it's resting spot. It truly was a mighty blade, and an excellent gift from father. The father that Dante so casually rejected. He had no use for such a blade; better that it stayed with its owner. He spun and thrust it into Dante's sternum, who apparently was still alive, though fell back again as he was pierced by his own blade.

Vergil granted him one last glare of his hatred as a voice spoke quietly.

"Do you finally have it?"

It was Arkham. The sinister man had appeared on the rim of the tower suddenly. For a human, he certainly could be quiet. Vergil didn't trust him for anything, but as luck would have it, he needed him to accomplish his goals. So that meant, for the time being, they would work together.

"Yes," he replied briskly. "Now the spell that Sparda cast will be broken."

He kept moving to the edge of the tower. He couldn't explain the sudden surge of energy behind him, nor why he couldn't detect a trace of it earlier. All that Vergil knew was that he reacted, spinning and half drawing Yamato, raising it to block. The next thing he realized was Dante's eyes staring back at him a mere foot away. Yamato was lodged halfway into his hand, lodged in the network of bones from when Dante tried to strike him with his bare hands.

"I see...a devil inside you has awakened as well!" Vergil remarked, surprised slightly.

Dante seemed to have turned feral, his face a distorted mask of anger. He payed no heed to the pain of having his hand nearly cut in two. Instead, he pushed harder, worming his hand around until his fingers could grip the blade, then pulled, flinging Vergil into the air with surprising strength.

Vergil easily landed on his feet and grabbed Yamato's handle, ready to-

"-Wait!" Arkham said suddenly. "We should leave. For the moment, we have all that we need."

Vergil paused, contemplating the logic. Dante staggered towards him, pulsing in a strange glow. He very much wanted to put him down right where he stood...but where would be the fun in that? No, Arkham was right. They had the amulets, and that was what mattered. He would claim his power, then with it, finish his brother once and for all once he'd regained his mind.

Without a word, Vergil simply turned on his heel and stepped off of the edge of the tower. Arkham was right. They had everything. Why waste the time? His power was waiting for him.

* * *

** A quick note. I'm having loads of trouble with my original DMC fic, so I thought I'd keep myself busy with some other stuff. This will just be something quick, three chaps for the three fights from DMC 3. I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Battle of Blood and Brothers**

With a small growl of frustration, Vergil's grip tightened on the sheath of Yamato, the leather of his brown fingerless gloves creaking audibly. He had all the keys: both amulets and the blood of Sparda. All three were combined, just as they were supposed to be. But for the last few minutes, he was greeted with nothing. Surely, there had to be some sort of sign!

"Why isn't this working!?" he shouted. His enraged voice echoed off the walls in the cavernous room that was the Lair of Judgment in the bowls of Temen-ni-gru. "Is something missing?" He pondered for a moment, then drummed his fingers on his blade. "Must more blood be shed?"

It was all as Arkham had said, executed to the last letter. Curse that man! Vergil was grateful now more than ever that he slew him already. Clearly, someone who couldn't kill a simple human girl didn't know anything about breaking ancient spells. Vergil had been a fool to trust him, yet there was merit behind the man's plans. What was wrong...?

Everything had been going perfect. Arkham turned out to be nothing more than something to step over on the way to his goal. Descending the tower had gone almost without a single incident. The one problem he encountered, if he could call it that, was the demon Beowulf. He had dispatched the loathsome creature with only two strikes, and hadn't even broken a sweat.

He had joined the two amulets and slit his own hand for his blood, then filled the small orifice in the middle of the chamber with it. It should have been easy. With his sacrifice, the door to the demon world should have been opened, and he would have been able to claim his father's power just as he planned. But now, everything just decided to stop going his way all at once, and it angered him greatly.

"You seem to be in a bad mood..." drolled a mocking voice from behind. Vergil whirled around in a flash of blue, his eyes narrowing in anger at the grinning figure who entered the chamber.

"Dante," he spat, then reflexively gripped Yamato's handle. Curse Arkham again for suggesting to leave when he could have finished him off at the top of the tower! His brother was now more of a nuisance than ever. He casually strolled in, not a care in the world, as if Vergil hadn't nearly killed him merely hours ago. The cocky grin that smirked back at him infuriated him all the more; Vergil would have liked nothing more to cut it from his face with a single quick stroke.

"So," Dante sighed, examining the setup in the center of the chamber. "My mother's amulet is the key that unlocks the door to the demon world..." He scoffed, then looked to the ceiling. "Good plan, _pop,_" he said sarcastically.

"Just the opposite, actually," Vergil replied through clenched teeth. "Originally, it _was_ the key to the demon world, but was given to humans as a gift."

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other," Dante said lazily with a shrug. "More importantly, I've come all this way." He reached up and unslung Rebellion from his back, then lifted its point in his direction. "I'm sure you have time for one more game...right?"

Vergil had Yamato drawn in the blink of an eye, but halfway, he stopped abruptly, then cocked his head in thought. For once, Dante was completely right. It wasn't like he wasn't going anywhere, and what better way to try and weaken the spell? Just as the resonant hum of Yamato's blade faded, he casually slid the blade back down with a flick of his wrist, where the tang clicked securely into place. It was the perfect chance to give his new weapon a thorough test.

"Why not?" he asked "After all, we share the same blood..." He called Beowulf's soul into existence from within him. Brilliant white light flowed around his arms and legs, then settled, revealing a black armored set of gauntlets and greaves, laced with white streams of energy that glowed ominously. Vergil smiled "...I'll just use more of yours to undo daddy's little spell..."

He spread his feet slightly and raises his hands into a fighter's stance. He'd already tested the Devil Arm's power on the corpse of Beowulf and was impressed at what it could do. He couldn't wait to see what it could do against a living, breathing body.

Dante chuckled. "So, you want a piece of me literally! Okay bro...come and get it, if ya can!" He raised his sword again, an outright challenge to fight.

Vergil tricked, but instead of appearing near Dante, he materialized in the air above him. Beowulf flashed, and without so much as even using his own body to move, he propelled himself at his brother, light trailing from his outstretched leg like a falling star. Dante dodged just as he came crashing down where he was standing a split second before. Beowulf's greave impacted like a bolt of lightening, tearing a hole into the stone plinth that was the grand alter of the Lair.

As soon as he was down, Vergil resumed his attack, throwing punches strong enough to break down walls, spinning and kicking with legs that could shatter steel. His brother either dodged the blows, or parried the greaves away with his blade. A punch landed solidly with the blade, causing a thunderous crash to erupt as a wave of conflicting energy pushed against them. Both warriors fell off balance, but this time it was Dante who recovered first, lunging forward and swinging Rebellion.

Vergil ducked and stepped between the blows, sometimes even requiring to trick that extra foot to avoid being struck. Dante seemed to have gotten faster; either that, or he was getting slower, but that was unlikely. He assumed it was because of the awakening of his brother's power. It would not matter in the end, though. Vergil was still the superior. Beowulf traded speed for power; it wouldn't take much for him to beat Dante, merely a few well placed blows.

He ducked low beneath a swipe and tricked, appearing to Dante's side, then punched low. His fist caught him well in the gut, doubling him over. Vergil kicked once, then spun and kicked again. The second kick knocked Dante back, all the way across the altar, where he rolled to a rough halt in a red heap of leather.

Vergil grinned broadly, then beckoned with his gauntlet as he shook his shoulders loose. "Come on!" he hissed excitedly.

Dante kicked to his feet, then pulled free his guns and began firing. Vergil ducked low and spun, drawing Yamato and deflecting the cowardly bullets out of the air with a volley of twirls. Dante rushed in, stabbing Rebellion forward as Vergil quickly sheathed Yamato. He was able to smash the sword away with a block, but instead of resuming his attack with his sword, Dante pulled free one of his guns and fired. Occupied with deflecting the sword, Vergil tricked away from the bullets, only to nearly walk straight into another oncoming blow from Rebellion. The resulting gash was shallow, but it ripped the front of his lapel wide open.

Vergil skipped back, furious at Dante's grinning face at first, but he soon shrugged it off, instead resuming his stance. Cowardly as the attack was, it certainly was clever, something that was commendable for his half-wit brother. But everyone got a little lucky now and again... "Now I'm a little motivated!" Vergil cried, then tricked in to attack.

Dante once again dodged his crushing starfall kick. But instead of attacking directly, Vergil paused a moment, feigning. Dante took the bait and lunged. He jumped and twisted in the air, kicking and spinning once, then lashed out with his other leg. Beowulf's greaves became two white, rising suns as they arced up through the air, then connected one at a time into Dante's midsection. At the peak of his jump, Vergil launched forward, driving a leg into Dante's chest, sending him sailing once again across the plinth. This time, he smacked into the wall in a cloud of dust.

Vergil laughed at the crushing blow, but stopped short when Dante appeared as a red blur from the dust and struck at him. There was a vicious exchange of attacks, until Dante swung his blade up. Vergil took it right in the chest, feeling pain course through his body as he was knocked back. He bared his teeth in fury at his brother as he gripped the wound with a bulky, gauntleted hand. Dante had indeed gotten faster, and stronger too. But no matter how strong he thought he was, he was still no match for him. He hadn't even shown him _half_ of his true abilities yet.

"You will_ not_ prevent this devil's power!" Vergil snarled as a dark aura surrounded him. The wound on his chest healed instantly and his body began to change within the storm around him. "_**You are not worthy as my opponent!**_" he hissed in a changed voice.

His human imaged faded, replaced by a frightening demonic warrior. Every inch of his body was covered in dark blue armored scales, covering bulging muscles. His head widened out, becoming spear shaped with a sleek jaw full of razor fangs. Small, glowing white eyes burned with the same hatred as their blue human counterparts only seconds ago. Beowulf glowed even brighter as more energy from his body flowed into the weapons.

In that instant, his body became faster and stronger by tenfold, if not more. Vergil tricked into the air, then came crashing down, missing Dante by a breath, this time his foot leaving a small crater instead of a hole in the stone. But instead of continuing this cautious retreat, Dante put some distance between them and grinned again.

"Come and get me!" he called.

Vergil's inhuman eyes narrowed to white slits as he let out a growl. His brother was still underestimating him, and it would prove to be fatal. But as he charged forward with a fist raised, something happened that surprised him greatly. Dante _changed._

In a flux of red light, the human form that Vergil recognized as his brother had vanished, instead replaced with a sleek demonic form not unlike his own, though his scaled skin was deep crimson that matched his coat. Had Dante learned to trigger his abilities at will already? It had taken Vergil months to learn to control his own power.

The two brothers clashed in their demon state. The sound of their weapons rebounding off of each other echoed again and again, until it was almost deafening. Neither took heed to the small, lucky blows that landed. Such pain in their current being was irrelevant, and their bodies' metabolism would have no trouble keeping up with the healing process.

"_**Die!**_" Vergil hissed as he leaped into the air, delivering a kick that would smash his brother's skull, demon form or not. In a blur, Dante vanished and avoided the blow, appearing above him and bringing Rebellion straight down. Fist met blade, and the two bounced off of each other as the resulting shock wave ripped through the air.

Vergil tricked, then jumped again, twisting and spinning as he let out a distorted roar. His legs a blur as he spun, Beowulf glowed, waxing and waning like phases of a passing moon. He came down hard, hoping to feel his brother's body crushed underneath his heel, but instead, felt only the stone alter crumble further.

His body taxed from the surge of power and effort, Vergil reverted to his human form. His breaths came quick and light, a cool sheen of sweat on his forehead. His troublesome brother was turning into quite the headache. Nevertheless, he spun and whipped his coat free, locking back onto his target with determined eyes.

As his power faded, so did Dante's, though he looked much more exhausted than Vergil did. He was outright panting, and sweating heavily. But all the same, he had that stupid grin on his face, as if the whole fight was nothing more than a sparring match.

"Are ya scared?" Dante mocked, clapping his hands.

"Don't get so cocky!" Vergil returned, letting his hand rest on Yamato. He was growing tired, yes, but already, his body was filled with more than enough energy to fight. The air around him shimmered as he summoned a swarm of blue, ethereal swords into existence. The short swords spiraled around his body once, then tricked into an arc above his head, where they launched at Dante like bullets.

As his brother danced around the volley, Vergil pulled Yamato free from his belt. "Rest in peace..." he said, then slammed it into the ground as he took up a low stance."...scum!"

He dove forward, striking with Yamato in a rapid assault of slashes that were too fast to be seen, casting off Beowulf in the process. It had been stupid to put trust in an unfamiliar weapon, and now he was paying the price. The next thing Vergil realized was that he was once again engaged in a sword fight. The two struck and slashed again and again, whirling and dodging lethal blows, unable to do so for others. Soon, they were slipping on the blood soaked stone.

They locked blades, faces mere inches away as they glared at each other in hate, not unlike they had on the top of the tower. Suddenly, they each broke away from the other, sensing the same attack directed at them. Dante turned and slashed through a speeding object heading right for them, or more precisely, at Vergil. Vergil cut it again vertically as it reached him. A missile fell to the ground, cut into for equal quarters. Both of them paused long enough to see her.

It was the woman from before, the one that Arkham failed to kill because of their relationship. She held a smoking rocket launcher, outfitted with an over-sized bayonet. The look on her face directed at him matched his own fury.

"Sorry, but this is no place for a little girl," Dante panted angrily before turning his attention back to Vergil, who was only to happy to mirror. "So beat it!"

"Shut up!" she snapped and fired again. Both brothers scuttled away from the rocket, intent on resuming their fight. As they clashed again and again, the woman ran up beside them, aiming her weapon point blank at Vergil. Before she could pull the trigger, he knocked the muzzle of the enormous weapon out of the way, then struck upward, trying to bat it out of her hands.

The woman refused to let go of the gun, causing her to fall back to the floor. Vergil jumped, twisting and sailing over Dante, all the while parrying a quick blow directed at his skull. He landed and brought Yamato down, just as the woman grabbed her rocket launcher to block it. Vergil's blade sunk into the metal barrel, the force of the blow almost driving the weapon back into her.

"You forced him into this," she spat at him angrily.

"Is that what you think?" Vergil asked incredulously with a raised eyebrow, then shook his head, amused. "Foolish girl." He ignored the bewildered look on her face as he spun, deflecting a blow from Rebellion. He didn't have time for such petty matters with a human girl.

She didn't interfere further, perhaps debating what he had just said. Dante suddenly slashed, cutting Vergil across the chest, but at the same time, left himself wide open. Vergil ignored the pain from the strike, then turned and sliced through his brother. Both of them dropped to their knees, exhausted from effort and blood loss.

Vergil braced himself against Yamato, struggling to rise to his feet. His body was almost completely sapped, wounds not healing as quickly as they should be, pain not disappearing fast enough. Then he heard the slow clapping inside the chamber.

"Bravo! Bravo!" cried a high, nasally voice. "I never dreamed that things would go so smoothly. Well done, everyone! Well done!"

It was standing in the center of the Lair of Judgment, right over the small orifice of blood. It was like some kind of demonic clown or jester in a black, feathery garb, bright white skin, and a long, pointed nose. Vergil couldn't believe that yet another person slipped by him unnoticed!

"You!" Dante panted, seeming to recognize the clown.

The woman acted first, training her weapon on it, but the clown was fast. In the blink of an eye, he was beside her, and with a flick of a long, snake-like tongue, he grabbed the rocket launcher. "Don't be a bad girl, Mary." With little effort, he tossed her away, as if she was something attached to the end of the stick. She fell in a heap on the edge of the alter. "Or you can expect a spanking from daddy later!" Then, as if the rest of them forgotten, he began to to do a little jig and sing. "Jester's gonna spank your butt, spank you on the butt-"

"_Insane buffoon!_" Vergil roared, finding his voice amidst the ridiculousness. He was finally able to get the strength to rise to his feet, although shakily. "I don't know where you came from, but you don't belong here." He drew Yamato from it's coil. "Now leave!"

With a growl, he sprinted forward and brought the blade straight down, prepared to cleave the clown in half. But his blade was suddenly halted by the jester's bare hands. Vergil grunted in surprise at his precious Yamato, stayed by nothing but pale flesh adorned with long, blood red fingernails.

"Zowie, that was close!" the clown exclaimed, then turned Yamato's deadly blade away with two fingers. "But you've taken quite a trouncing today, haven't you Vergil? You could have chopped me into confetti by now if you were in tip-top condition!"

"Damn you!" Vergil panted. Like it or not, he was right. Vergil felt weak, his strength gone from the fight with Dante and from the massive amounts of blood loss.

"You have lost..." said the clown, only his voice was no longer high and nasally. It was much deeper, and more sinister. Suddenly, Vergil recognized it, but was unable to stop the elbow that smashed him back across the ground where he skidded to a halt on his face. He shook the pain out of his eyes, then looked back to the clown only to confirm what he just realized; the clown had vanished.

"...because you underestimated humans," finished Arkham, standing where the clown had been and very much alive. Behind him, the woman, Mary, turned over, her eyes wide.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Good girl," Arkham said quietly. "Pure and innocent. Just like your mother."

Vergil saw the realization cross her face, her features turning first to confusion, then to surprise, horror, and loathing all in a single second.

"You bastard!" she exploded as she pulled a gun from her belt. But even faster than her hand, the clown replaced Arkham again, grabbing her wrist in one hand and her skull in the other.

"It's time for your spanking, my dear!" he cried, then rammed her skull into the stone floor with a sickening crack. The woman grunted in pain, then let out a quivering whimper. Vergil almost felt sorry at such a cruel, brutal move. Almost.

"You wanted to know why the spell didn't break, hm Vergil?" said the clown in a hiss as he focused odd colored eyes on Vergil's writhing form. "You have the two amulets and Sparda's blood. You had everything you needed to unleash the evil!"

"I told you before..." Dante suddenly said, just getting to his feet. He looked just as exhausted as Vergil felt. "I don't like anybody who has a bigger mouth than mine!"

The clown mocked a shock look, raising his hands to his mouth. Dante crossed his arms and opened fire with his pistols. The clown skipped back and forth without seeming to move, as if Vergil's eyes were missing frames of a film. The clown darted back and forth, then up the wall and onto the ceiling, Dante's bullets always missing by feet.

"You are wounded and weak, hahaha!" crowed the clown. "Even I can do-" He dropped from the ceiling suddenly, driving both of his ridiculous shoes onto Dante's face, driving his head into the floor. "_-this_ to you! Hahahaha!"

Dante twitched as the clown stepped off of his face. The raucous laughter faded, and Arkham once again appeared, walking to the woman's fallen weapon. "Two amulets...a set of Sparda's blood," he whispered. "Now, I need one more key..."

Vergil couldn't help but let out a growl. Arkham had tricked him, all this time! He never spoke of a third element to the spell.

Arkham stooped and picked up the rocket launcher. "He sacrificed two things to suppress the tremendous force of this tower: his own Devil's blood, and a mortal priestess." Suddenly, he raised the weapon and plunged the bayonet into the back of the woman's thigh. In her deluded, beaten state, she jerked up, but still stifled a scream of agony as her blood spurted from the deep wound. "I needed you, in whose body flows the same blood as the sacrificed woman," he told her. "His spell cannot be undone without your blood!"

"It was quite a ride, you know!" Arkham cried, turning into the clown once more. He jerked the bayonet out of the woman's leg, prompting a yelp from her. That insane jig began again. "If any of you had died before getting here, our little plan would have gone to waste! Ha! Therefore, my job was to make you battle each other in order to weaken you..."

Vergil squeezed the handle of Yamato tightly, the creak of his glove audible over the grunts of his effort. Nobody, _nobody_ used him...Especially not a two faced human such as Arkham. Vergil saw life stir into the woman as well, her own fist clenching in anger. Even Dante was getting back to his feet, a look of annoyed fury on his face. But Arkham was far to busy babbling and gloating over his triumph to notice.

"...but at the same time, I had to guide you here and make sure you were kept alive. I even went so far as to dressing as a complete idiot!" he exclaimed, gesturing to his idiotic wardrobe, then let out a long cackle. He turned to the woman, now writhing in her own blood. "It's time for bed Mary...you can visit your dear mother!"

He let out the loudest laugh yet, a screeching, insane cackle from a mouth as big as a human head. But as he laughed, the woman twisted, kicking the rocket launcher free from his hands, then spun to her feet, catching it in her arms and leveling it at his chest.

"Whoa!" Arkham gasped in surprised.

"Try me," the woman hissed.

In the blink of an eye, Vergil had tricked behind them, and with a swish dropped Yamato onto the back of his neck. Dante even managed to place himself opposite Vergil, dropping the heavy Rebellion on top of his sword.

"It's time for the clown to bow out, Arkham," Vergil snarled.

"Dude, the show's over," Dante added.

The clown vanished, revealing Arkham's much darker frame between their combined weapons. "Impressive," he said quietly. "I expected nothing less from the devil's descendent's. But aren't you forgetting something Vergil? The spell is broken...What do you think will happen next?"

Just next to them, the orifice where Vergil placed his blood began to unscrew, raising several feet into the air.

"Let's welcome chaos!" Arkham whispered.

The ceiling began to shake as the alter lit up in red. The floor beneath the three of them rumbled, and Vergil felt the distinct feeling that they were rotating. All three of them shoved on their respective weapons, about to snip Arkham's head off like a three sectioned scissors, but he ducked quickly into a low crouch, spinning and lashing out with a kick.

The next moments were a blur to Vergil. He felt the impact, then the sensation of being shoved into something, then he was airborne. The world swam before his eyes...Arkham was laughing, then the ground beneath him rumbled and gave way.

Then blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Screaming Souls**

Force Edge spiraled through the air, just out of Vergil's reach. He cursed as it eluded him, then straightened himself for his landing just as the short sword stuck into the ground in the middle of the raging river that spanned the cavern. He landed just feet from its resting place, splashing into ankle deep water. Half a second later, so did Dante. Both dove for the sword, but Vergil was quicker. He rolled, drenching his clothing with dirty water and plucked the sword free, just as Dante reached it.

Vergil stumbled back, as did Dante, cautious that his brother had armed himself. He'd finally gotten it! The essence of Sparda's power was finally in his grasp...but he felt no change, no sudden burst of strength. Then he realized it: the silver amulet was wrapped around his brother's arm, the red gem almost seeming to taunt him as it denied him its power. The amulet had separated, and they had each snatched their own on the way down.

Vergil beckoned to it. "Give that to me."

Dante raised his arm, then held it and the amulet behind his back. "No way. You got your own."

Vergil raised Force Edge warningly. "Well, I want yours too." He almost had to stifle back an inappropriate grin. It was almost like they were kids again, fighting for trivial things, only mother and father weren't there to separate the two this time. The reality of the situation was that Vergil would kill Dante if he did not listen to him this time.

It wasn't the ideal place for a fight. It was some underground cavern, already well past the gate to the demon world. The river that ran through the majority of it made footing unsteady, and the far side of the cavern just stopped, ending with a waterfall into a misty abyss of blackness.

Dante scoffed, and began to pace, circling around him. Vergil watched him very closely, looking for the sign of an attack. But that was all Dante did; not reach for his guns or sword, or lunge or taunt. Just pace. "What are you going to do with all that power, huh? No matter how hard you try, you're never gonna be like father."

There was no humor in his voice, no jest, no insult. It was level, just like Vergil's own when he spoke a cold, hard fact. Vergil's face flushed red. What did Dante know about anything?! "You're wasting time!" he yelled, then ran forward, roaring as he lifted his blade and struck. Dante didn't dance back or show off. He just stood there, waiting.

The resulting impact forced two columns of water to shoot up around them. Had Vergil been a second slower, Rebellion would have cut through his skull. Both brothers had struck at the same time, and both had stopped each other with their bare hands. Vergil held Rebellion, Dante Force Edge. Blood from their hands trailed down each respective blade as they clutched them. Beneath them, the torrent of water threatened to swipe them both off of their feet as it greedily sucked away the falling blood.

Dante grunted, then began to pull Force Edge to the side, clearing the view to his brother. "We are the sons of Sparda," he said through teeth grinding in pain. "Within each of us flows his blood, but more importantly, his soul!" Both brothers released their hold and skated back to a healthy distance. "And now, my soul is saying it wants to stop you!"

Vergil laughed. What had happened to his brother in the past night? Had all the beatings and fighting damaged his head? Gone was the cocky bastard who made Vergil's life a living hell for all those years. What he saw now was someone almost closer to himself. When they defeated Arkham together, he could feel the strength between them as the destroyed his mutated form. For those few minutes, they fought side by side, as brothers. But now, as always...

"Unfortunately, our souls are at odds, brother," Vergil said, then clenched his healing hand tightly. "_I need more power!_"

Dante scoffed and shook his head. "And we're supposed to be twins..."

Vergil scoffed. "Twins...riiiight..."

Force Edge was a good blade, lacking the immense strength of Sparda at the moment, but a blade nonetheless. Dante had gotten too familiar with Yamato's strikes, and it seemed the smart thing to integrate a new weapon into his attacks. He could take Dante down, acquire the amulet, and escape before the portal sealed them in.

Vergil slung Force Edge over his back and took up Yamato in his left hand, then marched up the stream of water towards his brother with cold determination. Likewise, Dante did the same. They met and struck at the same time. Blade met blade, crashing through the cavern in a metallic cascade of sound.

They broke apart, but Vergil resumed the offensive, slashing quickly with the quick short sword. Dante parried the blows, then dodged the long swipe of Yamato's sheath. His hands moving perfectly, Vergil slung Force Edge, then drew Yamato and slashed, then gripped Force Edge in his other hand after Dante dodged and slammed it down towards his neck.

Dante managed to block the vicious blow, but Vergil tricked, appearing high into the air, then plummeted straight down, chopping with Force Edge. His brother narrowly dodged the strike, neatly rolling to the side as a column of water blasted up from the force. With only a split second before Dante found his footing and attacked, Vergil lunged forward, driving he blade forward like a scorpion's stinger, a move that he'd seen Dante perform many times with lethal efficiency.

With a swing of Rebellion, Dante blocked the stab, stopping Vergil cold in knee deep water. Another exchange of blows between them and they broke apart, each cradling small cuts.

"Ha, that it?" Dante taunted.

"Don't get so cocky!" Vergil warned him for the second time.

He summoned a cluster of swords that took up positions around him and began to spin. He lunged forward and engaged his brother, who jumped back, just beyond the reach of the spinning blades, clashing swords again and again. Eventually, Dante landed several blows that shattered the summoned swords, breaking them back into nothingness. Vergil cast off the shield, tricking the swords into the air, their points aimed at Dante, then let them fly. In such close proximity, it was likely he would get hit as well, but it was a small price to pay. Dante needed to die.

Both of them danced between the falling blue hail of magic blades, transforming into their demon states. The red and blue demons clashed, new wounds ripping through them almost as fast as the old ones healed. Rebellion sliced down Vergil's right arm, perpendicular to a just closing gash that ripped open again, only to mend itself again. Force Edge, then Yamato cut twice in a misshapen X on Dante's chest, dividing his pectoral region into four sections that quickly became one again.

Each of their powers' waxed, and both of them became human once again. Vergil shrugged away the fatigue and lunged again with a grunt. Why wouldn't his brother just die? He slashed forward with a barrage from Yamato. "_Die!_" Dante continued to breathe. Another slash from Yamato. "_Scum!_" Their blades crashed against each other, yet another blast of sound ricocheting through the cavern. Why wouldn't he die?!

Vergil tricked back, dropping Yamato to his belt as he prepared to unleash his Judgment Cut. Three spheres of demonic pressure manifested in quick succession, dipping into the current of the river and leaving half bowls as the blades ripped away the water. Dante skated back and forth between them, then began to move forward, working his way around them. Vergil was just barely able to block the blow while recovering from his technique. The last wave he released went wide, gouging out a stalagmite jutting from the ground.

The two continued to fight up and down the river, coming dangerously close to the abyss several times. Every time they drew close, Vergil retreated. It wouldn't do for the other half of the amulet to fall into nothingness. Instead, he tricked back several lengths, then raised Force Edge and let several strands of his own energy wrap around the blade.

Dante began to sprint towards him, and Vergil flung the blade, the weapon spinning like a disc. His energy imbued within the demonic steel curved its path, aiming it straight for Dante's neck. Dante responded by drawing his despicable guns and shooting at it, the bullets altering the course just enough for a slight miss. Vergil drew Yamato and deflected the bullets then aimed at him, advancing in the wake of his thrown sword. The two brothers crashed together in a mess of steel as the Force Edge continued to orbit around them, lacking the proper power to change direction.

Vergil broke away, calling the spinning Force Edge back to his hand. His rage blossomed into hatred he never knew existed. Dante _still_ refused to go down. In fact, he seemed to be growing stronger as the fight lasted. Vergil found it harder and harder to block every blow and strike, while Dante seemed to effortlessly counter his own moves. Vergil's grip tightened on both of his swords.

"_**You're going down...**_" He snarled in a twisted voice. His aura came into view, thick and translucent, covering his body as he transformed into a demon. It wavered for an instant, but he forced it to settle, then released it in a flux of energy. He ignored the pain that he was forcing his body to go through and attacked. "_**HHRRRRAAAAAAAA!!!!**__"_

With a demonic yell, he tricked forward slashing. All coherent thoughts left his mind, focusing on that one singular purpose: kill his brother. Yamato struck, Force Edge gleamed. From every angle he came again and again, frothing the water to a boil. He descended time and time again, dropping his blade down hard, plumes of water rocketing into the sky as he utter curse upon curse, his voice eventually turning into nothing but incoherent rage.

Unable to take the pain anymore, Vergil tricked back, releasing his body from his power as she sheathed Yamato. Dante had to be dead, just _had_ to-

-a streak of red shot forward, headed by a deadly metal point. Vergil weakly blocked, the blow knocking him back viciously. He stumbled in the water as another assault of blows came. Exhausted, he could do little more than just take them head on. Eventually, blade cut through his skin, sending a spray of it to flow down the raging stream. Both of their blue eyes locked onto the other.

"Come on!" Dante spat, all cockiness gone.

Vergil snarled and once again willed his objecting body to unleash its power. He transformed, then tricked to the other side of the cavern, Yamato poised at his hip, as he let out a scream of pain and rage.

"_**You trash!**_"

He began to unleash Judgment Cut after Judgment Cut, not aiming in particular, instead hoping that he would kill Dante by the sheer number of them. The cavern reverberated with the sound of pressure again and again as hundreds of spheres formed, nonexistent blades slashing everything. Rocks splintered and fell from the walls and ceiling, and water exploded into columns as Vergil's barrage wreaked havoc. Painfully, his body had to quit, and he reverted back to his human form, panting great breaths.

Dante was gone, and for half a second, Vergil hoped he'd simply wiped his brother from existence. But he knew not to trust such foolish wishes. He turned, but it was too late, Dante slashed, cutting him deep. Vergil stumbled and collapsed to his knees, almost falling headfirst into the water.

"Am I...being defeated...?" he whispered to himself. Impossible...

"What's wrong?" Dante mocked, fatigue etched in his voice. "Is that all you got? Come on, get up! You can do better than that!"

Vergil clenched his fist. It would be a cold day in hell before Dante would speak to him in that tone. He braced himself, then rose upright, letting out a low growl as his body protested. He was bleeding from a dozen cuts, the deepest of which Dante had just inflicted.

A tremor ran through the cave, strong enough to hear over the current. "The portal to the human world is closing, Dante!" Vergil called to him. "Because the amulets have been separated."

Dante didn't move. "Let's finish this Vergil," he said quietly, his voice almost inaudible. "I have to stop you...even if that means killing you."

Vergil glared back, then raised Force Edge, spinning it about his head and cocking it back, preparing to strike. He lunged forward into a sprint, just as Dante did the same thing, Rebellion tucked low to the ground. He was vaguely aware that they were both screaming in rage.

They neared each other, and Vergil struck. But as he did, he felt the pain blossom in a hot line across his stomach. Dante passed him, raking his sword across with a spray of blood. _His_ blood. Vergil skidded to a halt, and for what seemed like an eternity, he could do nothing but focus on the pain, the wetness spreading through his shirt.

The moment ceased, and he stumbled forward, dropping Force Edge and gasping. Under the water, threatened to be whisked away, was a sparkle of gold and red. His mother's amulet! He'd dropped it during the final blow. Vergil scrabbled and grabbed it before it was lost, coughing up specks of blood.

"No one can have this Dante!" he panted, holding his wound. "Its mine! It belongs to a son of Sparda!"

He stumbled back, his mind already set on what he was going to do. The ground beneath him became solid, turning into one of the rocky outcroppings before the abyss. Dante's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. He jumped forward, but Vergil already had Yamato out, pointed to his brother's neck.

"Leave me and go!" he said, continuing to move back. "If you don't want to be trapped in the demon world...I'm staying...this place was our father's home."

Vergil simply leaned back, stepping onto nothing as he let himself fall. He saw his brother's eyes, filled with remorse as he reached out for him. Vergil was proud to say his own face remained strong. With Dante's hand within feet of him, Vergil lightly drew Yamato across, letting the tip gently cut his palm. It was his final farewell to him before everything was swallowed up in darkness.

Was he sorry? No. Was he regretful? Maybe...but this was the only way. It was the only way Sparda's power would be sealed away from men like Arkham. Sparda was the past, and it was time for his lineage to take his place.

The two brothers had fought for that place, and the stronger had clearly prevailed.

**The End**


End file.
